Strange recruting procedure, imo

Inez Ulrich wrote:

Hi there,

I'm not sure if it is me who is wrong in this or if my feeling is right: I applied for a translation project several weeks ago and got an email last week where the agency told me they had hundreds of applications and as my education and experience is what they wanted, they decided to continue with me. They told me the client would start with the project in may, then I had to translate a sample test so the client can decide which agency they want to go with. if they were chose, collaboration was for 5 years. They also told me the client (EU) would pay 60 days after delivery of the work and that they would pay me 5 days after that.

I answered that I'd still be interested, even with those payment terms, because of the project itself. I asked about the budget etc. I didn't receive any answer to my email. Now I see that yetserday that agency posted two other job postings about the same project. I wrote them and asked why they again were looking for a German translator if they already told me they wanted to continue with me (tbh, I didn't think I was the only one they wrote this and no, I also didn't think they had hundreds of applications, but that maybe others had declined because of the payment terms, but I wanted to try anyway). I got an answer then that they had to read and answer thousands of emails concerning this project (wow!) and that they couldn't answer sooner because of that. I told them if they really chose me to do the test for them, I should get my emails answered within a day or so, because I was no longer part of the recruiting proces, right? The PM then said I was chosen as a potential translator (aha!) and that she didn't have time to do all the things she is supposed to do because it is so much etc.

I said I don't like being taken for a fool, she then answered they wouldn't continue with my application and also don't like being taken for a fool and waste their time blablabla...

This is not so much about being angry about not being chosen for this job (even if the project surely would have been interesting), but the way they handled the whole issue.

Is that normal? I never experienced sth like that except when the client was no good anyway. I don't want to do them wrong, but this looks a bit fishy to me. Also: is € 0,05/word normal for an EU project? I did one before and it was paid much, much better.

Now I see that yetserday that agency posted two other job postings about the same project. I wrote them and asked why they again were looking for a German translator if they already told me they wanted to continue with me

Lincoln Hui wrote:

Be as thoroughly helpful as you would like to when a potential client contacts you, but never initiate another communication if you don't hear back, and never be emotionally invested in anything other than an active project. Best to send an email and forget they ever existed until you actually hear back.

In particular, NEVER ask why an agency is recruiting other people:

Literally nothing good can come of it; they did it for a reason, ranging from "they don't want you" to "they don't have a clue who's in their database". In all possible cases contacting them about it won't change anything. You'll either end up with an argument or a worthless deflective answer, and in this case you got both.